New products - food hygiene

29th of June 2011

An overview of latest product launches in the food hygiene sector from ECJ.

HACCP certified

Kärcher's B 60 W scrubber dryer has HACCP certification, making it suitable for use in HACCP-relevant areas and by food retailers without any restrictions. The award recognised the company’s development of detailed cleaning instructions that were checked by a microbiological institute.

The spread of bacteria in the food industry can only be prevented by compliance with hygiene regulations and careful cleaning of all machine parts in accordance with the cleaning procedure. Instructions complying with HACCP specify the right disinfectant to use, the cleaning process, cleaning intervals and inspection procedures.

Kärcher says the B 60 W is particularly suitable for the food sector because it has roller brushes that clean hard and flexible floor coverings quickly .

Ophardt Hygiene has developed a soap dispenser that complies with HACCP requirements. The flat surface of the stainless steel case means it can be cleaned easily and the bacteriostatic properties prevent the growth of bacteria.

The sloping top complies with hygienic design standards for cleaning and sanitising, says Ophardt, while the long-life pump can dose liquid soap, alcoholic disinfectants and hand washing lotions. Both dispenser and pump can be autoclaved, sterilised or dish washed. And the unit is mounted with the Ophardt wall back-plate system which means it can be unlocked with one finger.

According to Salmon Hygiene Technology it has developed a significant improvement in brush filament retention, whereby each tuft is anchored into the brush back with food grade stainless steel staples and then silver based antimicrobial epoxy resin is floated in.

The resin permeates the bottom of the tuft hole, covering the filaments and staples as it goes. The resin seals the face of the brush, secures the filaments, and prevents the accumulation of bacteria, dirt or moisture in the tuft holes.

The Salmon trademark is owned by Hill Brush Company, which offers a range of brushware in three quality levels. The entry level Premier line is suitable for restaurants and catering environments providing total colour coding as standard in five colours. The Professional range is heavier duty, suitable for use in food production factory environments and is offered in eight colours.

The Ultimate line consists of a level of equipment designed for the ultimate food safety environments. This line is available as metal detectable and dissipative products, resin-set brushes in eight colours and anti-microbial products.

Kaivac says its No-Touch Cleaning systems can be used as an alternative to sweeping and mopping kitchen floors. Its units combine automatic chemical metering and injection, an indoor pressure washer and a wet vacuum. Cleaning operatives can deep clean and sanitise without having to touch contaminated surfaces.

There are three steps in the process. Firstly, cleaning agent is applied to floor areas. The floor is then rinsed with the machine, loosening floor debris. The built-in vacuum then picks up debris and cleaning solution.

New from Tork manufacturer SCA is a blue zigzag-fold towel for use in the food sector. Tork Universal Blue ZigZag Hand Towel is aimed at food manufacturing and preparation areas.

The dispenser gives out one towel at a time to reduce over-consumption and improve cost in use. The fact that the towels are dispensed singly also reduces the risk of cross-contamination in the food environment since each towel is touched only by the user.

Designed for busier food preparation areas is the Tork Advanced Blue Hand Towel, housed in a dispenser that cuts the towel to length and provides a large enough portion to dry both hands. Also for the food environment is Tork Premium 530 Blue, tough enough to be used as a dishcloth but more hygienic since it is thrown away after use. Tork also offers a two-ply Tork Advanced 420 Blue centrefeed roll for high-capacity use.

The food industry often uses foam cleaning and Birchmeier-Sprühtechnik specialises in foaming and spraying equipment - offering a range of foamers in plastic and stainless steel tanks from 0.5 to 100 litres.

The smallest unit is the McProper Plus Foam at 0.5 litres, while the Clean-Matic 1.25 P has a 1.5 litre capacity with an inclinable foam nozzle. For larger areas there is the five-litre Foamer Clean-Matic 5 P with foam nozzle. The largest models are the stainless steel Indu-Matic Foamers, available with 20, 50 or 100 litre tanks and equipped with a foam mixing station that produces a foam quality from dry to wet.

The Vario-Matic 1 P is a robust foam gun with integrated mixing ration dial that works with normal mains pressure.

With its range of colour coded cleaning equipment and hygienic brushes, Brosserie Thomas is well placed to serve the food industry. Colour coding can be by the colour of fibres or handles, it says.The latest launch is the CHR line of cleaning tools and brushes, which complies with all HACCP regulations and comes only in white. Brosserie Thomas says the products in this range are lighter, so easier to clean.

Brightwell says its wall-mounted wet wipe dispenser has been designed for hygiene-conscious environments. Thanks to the 'pop and grab' spring loaded lid, the wipes are kept fresh, hygienic and available for sanitising.

Mounted permanently on the wall, the unit offers one wipe at a time, keeping consumption to a reasonable level while preventing theft. The dispenser can be used with different types of wipe to serve a variety of applications. Units can also be locked to the wipes of the customer's choice.Part of the Modular washroom range, this wet wipe dispenser complements the soap and paper dispensers in the line.

Specialising in dispensers for disposable articles used in food preparation areas is Jurine. Its most popular dispensers are those for gloves, caps, shoe covers, visitor kits and masks.

All units have been developed in accordance with HACCP systems and come in stainless steel - some are also available in lacquered steel. The universal size means any brand of disposable product can be used.

Activeion says its ionator EXP ionised water cleaning technology is used in hotel food preparation areas throughout Europe, and has gained HACCP certification and NSF registration.

The spray bottle system converts tap water temporarily into ionised water which, Activeion says, kills most pathogens found on work surfaces used for food and beverage processing, preparation and serving.

The container is filled with half a litre of tap water, with no added chemicals or additives. When the trigger is pressed, a spray of temporarily ionised water breaks down dirt on the surface. The ionator EXP can be used on glass, stainless steel, and most other hard surfaces.